Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain
Microsoft Windows GameCube | genre = Action-adventure | modes = Single-player | media = 1 DVD (PS2 & Xbox) 2 CD-ROMs, digital download (via GOG.com & Steam) (PC) 1 Nintendo optical disc (GC) }} Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain is an action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive, and the fourth title in the Legacy of Kain series. It was released for the PlayStation 2, alongside Xbox, Microsoft Windows and GameCube ports developed by Nixxes Software BV, in 2002. It is the sequel to the first game in the series, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, with Blood Omen's protagonist, the vampire Kain, returning as the central character. Blood Omen 2 is chronologically a midquel, bridging the stories of the original Blood Omen and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, but it takes place in an alternate timeline created by the events of Soul Reaver 2. Centuries after Blood Omen, Kain is opposed by traitorous vampires and the minions of The Sarafan Lord, and sets out to continue his ascent to power. While Crystal Dynamics' Soul Reaver team began to produce Soul Reaver 2, a secondary crew started work on Blood Omen 2 in 1999. They sought to create a more action-focused entry in contrast to the Soul Reaver games' emphasis on puzzle-solving. The final product was a commercial hit, becoming a Sony's "Greatest Hits" title, but received average reception, with critics citing its lower production values and lack of innovation relative to the Soul Reaver games as flaws. Gameplay The gameplay of Blood Omen 2 centers around the anti-hero vampire Kain in a mix of 3rd-person fighting and puzzle-solving to progress through levels and trigger key cutscenes in the storyline. Fighting in Blood Omen 2 revolves around the Lock-On combat system, a combat style first introduced in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and a signature aspect of further games in the series. By way of the Lock-On system, Kain is able to center his attention on a single enemy, and then block, dodge or strike at them with either his claws or a weapon that he procures in the field. The game's A.I. recognizes when the player performs a Lock-On and then triggers attack chains and powerful strikes for only the enemy Kain is engaged with in combat. If the player cancels the Lock-On or flees from combat, the A.I. of the surrounding enemies are signaled in unison to attack Kain. The Lock-On system simplifies combat so that the player isn't forced to split focus and battle several enemies at once, thus running the risk of being overwhelmed and defeated. As a general rule, the player must defeat an enemy or knock him down before the A.I. of surrounding enemies are signaled to attack Kain. This sets a working, albeit dynamic pace for the player in combat. Some Dark Gifts, described below, are purely for combat purposes, and require a partially or completely full Rage Bar to execute. The Rage Bar is only filled when Kain successfully blocks an enemy attack. When filled, Kain glows with an aura of bloodlust, signaling that the selected combat Dark Gift is available for use. A pattern is established early on: Kain fights his way to a small puzzle, which is solved with something simplistic (i.e. pull a lever, lower a bridge). Next the player fights more enemies while working his or her way to a larger puzzle, which is then solved and a cutscene is triggered to reveal the next step in the storyline. At the end of a series of puzzles to progress through the level, Kain meets the boss or speaks to the creature he's seeking. The glyph energy channels spread throughout the city of Meridian, where the game takes place, offer various brainteaser challenges to the player. On occasion, the player has to clear an area of its enemies in order to solve an intricate puzzle. Puzzles in the game begin simplistic and then advance in complexity, with some of the more advanced ones involving several working parts to fully solve. The "Charm" and "Telekinesis" gifts are integral to puzzles in later levels, as described below. Legacy of Kain vampires evolve over time, and the curse of vampirism manifests differently in every individual, giving them various supernatural abilities. In Blood Omen 2, these abilities are known as 'Dark Gifts'. Kain's personal Dark Gift is 'Mist', the ability to assume an insubstantial form when immersed in clouds of fog or mist. He also possesses 'Fury', the ability to unleash a powerful attack when sufficiently enraged. Though he starts with only his own evolutionary traits, Kain can obtain and use (to a lesser extent) the abilities of the traitorous vampires who have sided with the Sarafan upon defeating them and "absorbing their veins". Each Dark Gift has a symbol which is visible in their respective recipient's health display in the interface during the boss battle with them. When the Dark Gift menu is triggered, all game movement freezes. This allows the player to switch Dark Gifts on-the-fly to suit either the intricacies of the puzzle or execute several Dark Gifts in battle. The Dark Gifts and their inherent benefactors are listed here. * Mist Form (Kain): One of the two initial Dark Gifts; when Kain is standing in mist he is able to assume a mist form, making him near invisible, unless he moves directly in front of an enemy. While in mist form, Kain moves silently, and is able to sneak up on and dispatch enemies with a particularly gory stealth attack. The attack varies depending on the weapon Kain is carrying at the time. When a skull appears above an enemy's head, a stealth attack can be executed. * Fury (Kain): The second of the two initial Dark Gifts; in combat this allows Kain to execute a single strike at double his normal strength. This power, like all combat Dark Gifts, is fueled by Kain's 'Rage Bar'. When Kain starts to glow red, the Fury attack can be executed. * Jump (Faustus): Allows Kain to leap higher and further than humanly possible. When the gift is activated, Kain tenses for the jump, and a ghost image of his form appears. This image shows where Kain will jump to. When the ghost image adopts a purple hue, the jump can be made by pressing the button again. If Kain jumps into an enemy, the ghost image turns red, and a strong knock-down attack is executed as Kain completes the jump. * Charm (Marcus): Allows Kain to take control of a non-hostile character. When the gift is activated, a target appears. Once it is moved over a civilian character, the button can be pressed again, and the player then assumes control over that character. While under Kain's control the character can be moved, and can activate switches etc., but cannot attack and cannot stray beyond a certain range of Kain's person. If the charmed individual moves too far, the entire effect is canceled. * Berserk (Sebastian): Allows Kain to execute a flurry of super-fast attacks against a single enemy, culminating in a slow motion scene where the camera attempts a 180-degree pan and the enemy is seen flying through the air after Kain's final blow. Also a combat Dark Gift, this attack is fueled by the Rage Bar. * Telekinesis (The Seer): Allows Kain to manipulate certain objects using his mind, particularly the special telekinetic emblems which act as switches during the latter portion of the game. This gift is targeted, much like Charm. It can also be used to attack enemies from a distance, always triggering a knockdown. There is no boss battle to gain this gift; it is acquired after Kain meets an ally vampire later in the game. * Immolate (Magnus): The final Dark Gift. This power allows Kain to set his enemies on fire using only his mind, causing instant death to the targeted foe and moderate damage to bosses. The sole enemy powerful enough to withstand this unstoppable attack is the Sarafan Lord, the final boss of the game. This gift, like Fury and Berserk, is combat only and is fueled by a full Rage Bar. * Soul Reaver (Sarafan Lord): While not a Dark Gift as such, this weapon is gained during the battle with the Sarafan Lord. It also acts as his health interface symbol throughout the fight. It is the strongest weapon in the game, and is unbreakable. It can also be gained, along with Kain's Iron Armour from Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, at the start of a new game following the entry of a cheat code at the Main Menu. Plot Setting The vampire, Kain, refused to sacrifice himself to restore the Pillars of Nosgoth at the end of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, thus damning the Pillars and the world of Nosgoth to an eternity of depravity and decay. Following his refusal, Kain built a vampire army with Vorador's help and attempted to conquer the world. Four hundred years after the events of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Kain awakes in Meridian, Nosgoth's industrial capital city. He remembers very little, and is lacking much of his former power. He is greeted by a vampire called Umah, who informs Kain that he has been asleep for two hundred years. Two hundred years before, Kain's conquest of Nosgoth had been opposed by an army of vampire hunters called the Sarafan Order. The Sarafan Order destroyed Kain's army, and Kain himself was defeated in combat by their leader, the Sarafan Lord who then claimed the Soul Reaver from Kain. In the years since, the Sarafan have imposed harsh martial law on Nosgoth's human population, and started an industrial revolution. Employing 'Glyph magic'—a new kind of magic, deadly to vampires—they have hunted the remaining vampires to near extinction: as a result, several vampires have agreed to serve the Sarafan out of self-preservation. Umah is a member of the Cabal; an underground resistance movement formed of vampires and working to undermine the Sarafan at every turn. The Cabal hopes that Kain will destroy the Sarafan Lord, and the traitorous vampires that protect him. Kain sets out to get his revenge, reclaim the Soul Reaver sword from the Sarafan Lord, and continue his ascent to power. Characters * Kain : The protagonist of Blood Omen 2. Kain is a nobleman turned vampire, with ambitions to rule the land of Nosgoth. He is also the last survivor of the Circle of Nine, as the Guardian of the Pillar of Balance. * Umah: A vampire and lieutenant of the Cabal. She guides Kain through the first part of the game, reminding him of his vampiric abilities, and introducing him (and the player) to Meridian. * Sarafan Lord: The antagonist of Blood Omen 2. He is a Hylden, one of a race banished from Nosgoth by the Ancient Vampires before Nosgoth's recorded history began. When Kain refused to sacrifice himself to restore the Pillars of Nosgoth in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, this Hylden re-entered Nosgoth, and rebuilt the defunct Sarafan order. As the Sarafan Lord, he intends to wipe out all vampires and non-Hylden races by activating 'The Device', an ancient weapon concealed beneath Meridian. He is really the Hylden Lord. * Vorador: An old vampire and an acquaintance of Kain from Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Vorador is the leader of the Cabal, and gives Kain directions and advice. * Janos Audron: The last of the Ancient Vampires. Janos is enslaved to power the Device, and this has caused him to devolve into a huge beast. Later, when the Device is destroyed, Janos regains his normal winged, humanoid appearance. * Faustus: A vampire who has sided with the Sarafan. Formerly one of Kain's lieutenants, this indifferent soul betrayed the vampire's army and sided with the Sarafan Lord for power and protection. Faustus confronts Kain after his revival in the Smuggler's Den, but is killed. Kain drinks his blood and gains his 'Jump' Dark Gift. * Marcus: A vampire who has sided with the Sarafan Order, with powerful psychic abilities. Kain and Marcus meet in the Upper City region of Meridian, and after exchanging harsh words they engage in a race to find the Bishop of Meridian who will guide Kain to the Sarafan Keep. Kain kills Marcus using the holy power of the cathedral's sound, drinks from his veins and gains his Dark Gift, 'Charm'. * Sebastian: The greatest of the Sarafan Lord's generals, Sebastian is a quick-moving vampire who sided with the Sarafan Order. He arranged the ambush that allowed Kain's army to be defeated by the Sarafan. Kain meets him in the Lower City region of Meridian, and later in the Industrial Quarter where they battle for the Nexus Stone. Kain defeats Sebastian, who reluctantly provides him with information on the Sarafan Lord's plans before dying. Kain claims the Stone, absorbs Sebastian's 'Berserk' Dark Gift, and narrowly escapes the Quarter. * Magnus: A mad vampire in the Eternal Prison. Kain first 'meets' Magnus while observing him as he obliterates two of the Prison's guardians. Kain lures Magnus into numerous pits of water leading into the Prison's sewer system before confronting him in a large arena. After a lengthy fight, Magnus regains his sanity. After Kain realises that this vampire was in fact his most powerful champion before his defeat, Magnus explains that he did not betray Kain, but attempted to assassinate the Sarafan Lord before the final battle yet was defeated and sent to the Eternal Prison. Kain grants the dying Magnus his release by draining him of his blood thus gaining the 'Immolate' Dark Gift, and departs. * The Seer: A soothsayer that lives in the wastelands outside of Meridian who helps Kain along his journey. She is "an extremely powerful and mysterious Hylden". According to Vorador, she owes him a favor, but the reasons for this are not detailed. Story Development Reception References Category:2002 video games Category:Action-adventure games Category:Alternate history video games Category:Dark fantasy video games Category:Legacy of Kain Category:Nintendo GameCube games Category:PlayStation 2 games Category:Steampunk video games Category:Vampires in popular culture Category:Windows games Category:Xbox games